In my health coaching practice I see clients suffer from many of the same symptoms. Most of the women I work with are working hard at their jobs, caring for families, and generally giving selflessly of their time and energy to others. Their own self-care has taken a back seat, and the results are both physical and emotional.
The following are the five most common ailments I see in clients:
- Low mood, anxiety or depression
- Gastrointestinal distress, gas, bloating, diarrhea
- Headaches, including chronic migraine
- Cravings for sugar, caffeine, and alcohol
- Fatigue and low energy
What many don’t realize is that these are symptoms of intolerance, deficiency, and/or imbalance. The good news is that they are largely fixable when the underlying issue or issues are identified. Every body is unique and therefore the reasons behind the symptoms can be different for each person. But here are a few commonalities I find in my practice:
- Low mood, anxiety or depression: Eating the wrong foods paired with a stressed-out lifestyle are a sure-fire way to chronically damage your mood. The kinds of foods you eat contribute to the mix of neuro-transmitters available to your brain. Too much junk food, blood sugar swings, and an imbalance of omega-3s vs. omega-6 fatty acids can all contribute to chronically low levels of serotonin and dopamine – your “happy brain chemicals”. The real killer here is that stress and low mood often lead to seeking out junk foods (pasta, ice cream, candy!), which cause a temporary boost in serotonin, but deplete it long-term.
- Gastrointestinal distress, gas, bloating, diarrhea: Bio-individuality is truly a key factor here. What makes one person feel wonderful can make another feel miserable. What I can pretty much guarantee is that if you are experiencing one or more of the following symptoms regularly you are a) eating something you are allergic or intolerant to, b) living with the result of years of antibiotics, birth control, and other medications that have weakened your intestinal lining and are preventing you from digesting your food properly, or c) eating junk that your body barely identifies as food.
- Headaches and chronic migraine: Headaches are a warning signal that your body is sending to you. Unidentified allergies and intolerances, vitamin deficiency, and a stress-fueled lifestyle can all be at play here. Migraines can be extremely frustrating, but I find that aggressively working on multiple fronts leads to the most success.
- Cravings for sugar, caffeine, and alcohol: These are loud and clear signals of imbalance. What’s challenging
about cravings is that they can result from entirely physical triggers, or entirely emotional triggers, or a combination of both. However, I find that most clients dramatically under-estimate the physical triggers, which can include dehydration, a low-nutrient diet, and blood sugar swings, and lack of rest, among others. I can not say this enough: You should not be constantly plagued by cravings. This is one of the most common, but easiest and quickest symptoms to fix. - Fatigue and low energy: Again, this is a key sign of deficiency or imbalance. Unidentified food allergies and intolerances, a low-nutrient diet, blood sugar swings, stress, and over-burdening your body with energy-sucking foods like toxin-laden fast food, caffeine, alcohol, and too much meat and dairy will drag your body down. Shifting the balance of your diet and increasing your nutrient intake will re-tune your body to become a much more efficient machine.
The human body is simply amazing in what it accomplishes on a daily basis. But when you’re wracked with the above symptoms it can feel like your body is working against you. It isn’t – but it is telling you that something is off.
These symptoms will resolve when you eliminate the triggers. It is enormously helpful to have a professional help you to navigate these issues. I have helped others resolve their symptoms and if you’re experiencing them, I can help you too. Contact me for an appointment and to learn how I can help you.